Some facts on caravan and chalet park tourism
The Government recently produced a document "Good Practice Guide on Tourism"
In that document it says:
Caravan and chalet parks account for 22% of all holiday bed nights with an income of £3.23 billion (yes, billion, not million) and are the biggest providers of rural tourism bed spaces.
Local publicans alone have estimated that, once the holiday village goes, they will lose in excess of £750,000 (I can provide the source for this figure if required) - imagine the total loss. How on earth can we expect this to be replaced by the spending of day/half day trippers, many of whom will come in on coaches, visit something and then leave because we have no accommodation?
When the holiday village goes, Seaton loses 90% of its overnight beds and the area loses more than 50% of its overnight beds.
posted by Fighting for East Devon's future @ 10:46 am
2 Comments:
Lyme Bay is not really a chalet park - because it provides serviced accommodation. Therefore a better assessment of it impact on the local economy is to look at http://www.visitsouthwest.co.uk/swtresearch/survey/valueoftourism2003/finalreportlinks.htm On page 13 you find figures for serviced accommodation in East Devon showing each bed night in serviced accommodation is worth £76 to the local economy. Multiply this by 450 beds at Lyme Bay occupied for 80% of 365 nights a year and you get about £10 million in 2003. Naturally this isn't all spent in the holiday village or even in Seaton - but its the benefit to Seaton, Beer, Colyton and the other places in Devon that tourists staying in Seaton visit.
EDDC insist that the closure of the holiday camp is a decision to be taken by its management. But why would the management want to close a camp with high levels of occupancy and that has recently won tourism awards, unless they were making the profit from developing the site? The camp is believed to be making increasing profits. EDDC will force its closure if they give planning permission for residential housing on the site.
Post a Comment
<< Home